Gabriel Rowland

Profile

I am a postgraduate researcher (PGR) in the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability here at the University of Leeds. I joined the University of Leeds in 2020, studying BSc Environmental Science (Industrial). During this time, I completed two summer research placements. The first was through the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme, offered through the University of Leeds. This project focussed on understanding the opposition to species reintroduction and the implications it has for conservation. The second placement was with the University of Cambridge through the Future Leaders Programme. It focussed on understanding current and future land-use in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. My BSc dissertation investigated the impacts of linear transport infrastructure (roads and railways) on the viability of a recently introduced population of pine marten. After graduating from my BSc in 2024, I then went onto study MSc Biodiversity and Conservation with African Field Course, which was also at the University of Leeds. My MSc final project consisted of conducting a small mammal prey base assessment to help inform a potential future pine marten translocation in Yorkshire.

Research interests

Since October 2025, I have been enrolled on a PhD researching the ecological and conservation implications of illicit and unregulated species translocations. This project is funded by the National Environment Research Council (NERC) through the Yorkshire Environmental Sciences Doctoral Training Network (YES-DTN) and primarily focusses on illicit and unregulated species translocations within the UK. More specifically, my research seeks to understand:

(1) Who is conducting illicit and unregulated species translocations, of which taxa, where, why and how?

(2) What are ecological impacts of such translocations, on the ecology, population size and genetic diversity of the translocated species, and on the broader ecosystem?

(3) What are the implications of such translocations for conservation policy, particularly on how concepts such as nativeness, risk and baselines are conceptualised?

Outside of my PhD research, I am interested in practical conservation and ecology. I hold a British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) bird ringing Training (T) permit and am working towards a permit upgrade. I enjoy getting involved in practical conservation through volunteering and am a member of the Yorkshire Mammal Group.

Qualifications

• 2020 - 2024: BSc Environmental Science (Industrial), University of Leeds
• 2024 - 2025: MSc Biodiversity and Conservation with African Field Course, University of Leeds

Research groups and institutes

• Sustainability Research Institute